Netflix is developing a limited series based on the life of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.
The series will be based on the critically acclaimed book “JFK: Coming Of Age In The American Century, 1917-1956” by Fredrik Logevall. The book, originally published in 2020, is the first part of a planned two-volume biography of Kennedy. Part one examines his life from his birth up to his time as the junior U.S. Senators from Massachusetts.
Eric Roth is attached to write and executive produce the project. Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment will also executive produce. The search is currently on for a showrunner.
Reps for Netflix did not immediately respond to request for comment.
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According to sources, Netflix sees the series as something like an American version of “The Crown,” their highly successful show about Queen Elizabeth II and the British royal family, given the highly influential history of the Kennedy family in America. Whether that means the show would follow the same pattern as “The Crown” — in which different actors come in every two seasons to play the main characters as they age — is unclear at this time.
Roth is a highly successful film writer. He won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for “Forrest Gump” in 1995. He has been nominated for six more Academy Awards since, including for his work on films like “Munich,” Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born,” and most recently “Dune.” He is also one of the credited writers on Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film “Killers of the Flower Moon.” His other writing credits include “Ali,” “The Good Shepherd,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” the last of which also earned him an Oscar nomination.
He is repped by CAA, Lenore Entertainment Group, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Chernin Entertainment’s current TV slate includes shows like “P-Valley” at Starz, which has been renewed for a third season, and the upcoming epic “Chief of War” at Apple TV+ starring Jason Momoa. The company also recently co-produced the film “Luther: The Fallen Sun” starring Idris Elba, with Elba reprising the role of Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, and “Dicks: The Musical.”
Chernin Entertainment is repped by WME.
